# Origin Teams Locked In? Our Picks, Big Calls & Metcalfe Release News

An episode of [Backstage with Cooper & Matty Johns](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1729949087), 12 May 2026, 38 min.

Audio: https://p.podderapp.com/2544644999/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/d7a60aed-0ec1-4a17-9f87-b248003b7796/99bf5ee1-c223-46af-ae2e-b44800a75f61/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=676e8df2-b284-47a4-9fbd-b248003b77ad

The boys go head-to-head picking their NSW & QLD Origin teams for Game 1, with a bet on the line for who gets closest. Big selection calls, shock bolters and captain debates throughout. Plus, we react to the Luke Metcalfe release bombshell at the Warriors. Subscribe, Watch, and Follow Catch the full episode on YouTube and stay updated by following us on social media: Linktree: Backstage with Cooper & Matty Contact Us For any enquiries, email us at: contact@johnsmedia.com.au 0:00-Luke Metcalf Bombshell 11:30-State of Origin Teamlist 15:00-QLD 28:00-NSW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:02] Speaker 1: Okay, we're just sitting a gun. Who's going to go first?
[0:04] Speaker 2: Well, who does want to go first? Because we take turns?
[0:06] Speaker 2: Do you want to start it?
[0:07] Speaker 1: I'll start it? Go on then, well, I said, Welcome
[0:10] Speaker 1: to this bonus episode of the Backstage Podcast. A lot
[0:13] Speaker 1: going on the game, particularly around the state of Origin.
[0:15] Speaker 1: We've got Magic Ground approaching. But big news, breaking news.
[0:18] Speaker 1: As we're about to record this, Luke medcalf As asked
[0:22] Speaker 1: permission to negoshet with other clubs, and apparently Warriors is
[0:25] Speaker 1: saying they will give him permission.
[0:27] Speaker 2: Yeah, they've just signed Tanner Boyd long term, and I
[0:30] Speaker 2: think when they signed that deal they were they were
[0:33] Speaker 2: quite willing, knowing that they were going to lose Luke
[0:35] Speaker 2: Metcalfe and doing so, which is which it's a weird one,
[0:38] Speaker 2: right because he was leaving the Daims last year until
[0:41] Speaker 2: he did his ACL and we know how good a
[0:43] Speaker 2: player he is. But I mean it's one of those
[0:46] Speaker 2: things you get hurt and someone comes in and gets
[0:48] Speaker 2: an opportunity just absolutely plays the house down.
[0:50] Speaker 1: I am going to coep On really surprised. I mean
[0:52] Speaker 1: he was. He's been outstanding for the Warriors, as you
[0:56] Speaker 1: said before, he led the dali ms. But on top
[0:58] Speaker 1: of that and Chanell have been outstanding, but not over
[1:02] Speaker 1: a long period of time, you know what I mean.
[1:05] Speaker 1: It's different if there's continual consistency and like you know,
[1:08] Speaker 1: second and third year just firing. But Chanell really just
[1:12] Speaker 1: started to find himself last year, had a break from
[1:14] Speaker 1: the game, came back and was playing really good football.
[1:17] Speaker 1: Now Tanner Boyd has been brilliant, but this year before
[1:21] Speaker 1: that he had a lot of trouble a little you know,
[1:24] Speaker 1: I had trouble with pressure situations and whatnot. But obviously
[1:29] Speaker 1: Andrew Webs's obviously it's a huge avout of confidence in
[1:32] Speaker 1: those two blokes. But also consider this Jet clear he's
[1:35] Speaker 1: still at the club and the young fellow who I
[1:37] Speaker 1: think is a really good footballer who wears the six,
[1:40] Speaker 1: who is the six is Luke Hanson, who's a good
[1:43] Speaker 1: football coming through there. So they've got a little bit
[1:45] Speaker 1: of death. But still I am surprised. Maybe he's got
[1:49] Speaker 1: a little bit to do with the salary cap as well.
[1:51] Speaker 2: I think it's one of those things as well. Andrew Webster,
[1:54] Speaker 2: you've seen him do it, you know, with Fanilla Blake
[1:56] Speaker 2: last year and now Mitch Barnett coming into the back
[1:58] Speaker 2: end of this year. If I suppose if someone indicates
[2:02] Speaker 2: that they might not want to be there for whatever reason,
[2:04] Speaker 2: he's willing to just let him go. He's not. I
[2:06] Speaker 2: think there's a little bit of you know, they don't
[2:08] Speaker 2: want to be an individual throw you know, their club around.
[2:12] Speaker 2: I think he's he's got a system and whoever's there,
[2:14] Speaker 2: he's got faith to do that system. And they're going
[2:17] Speaker 2: to they were going to have to pay if they
[2:18] Speaker 2: were going to resign Luke Metcalf, they were probably going
[2:21] Speaker 2: to have to throw a lot of money out him,
[2:22] Speaker 2: given how good he was going when he's on the field.
[2:24] Speaker 1: Well, and I think I think from Luke's point of
[2:28] Speaker 1: view as well, you know, he was he's looking at
[2:31] Speaker 1: what's going on in the Warriors, but boy boy, what
[2:32] Speaker 1: there's some big money better be go thrown in his
[2:34] Speaker 1: direction and I think he's aware of that. Let's look
[2:37] Speaker 1: at a couple. I mean, let's run through the list
[2:40] Speaker 1: of likely I mean, you've got a situation with I
[2:43] Speaker 1: wouldn't say PARAMOUNTA one of the favorites, but Jonah Pezit
[2:45] Speaker 1: is leaving, there's a spot there. They'd be okay, I
[2:48] Speaker 1: think they'd be very keen. Dragons would be desperate. Yeah,
[2:52] Speaker 1: Dragons would be the one they'll throw all the money,
[2:53] Speaker 1: the most money.
[2:54] Speaker 2: I think today they're also Dragons have been going hard
[2:56] Speaker 2: for Brodie Croft over in the Super League as well,
[2:59] Speaker 2: trying to get him over there. I think they tried
[3:01] Speaker 2: to get him last year, but now I think they're
[3:02] Speaker 2: really desperate given their hard situation. But I mean he'd
[3:05] Speaker 2: be a great buy for them. I now he's down there.
[3:08] Speaker 2: He was a sharkis junior Lukey Metcalf, so he likes
[3:11] Speaker 2: he's obviously got family down that way, so down that
[3:13] Speaker 2: willo and gone way be suited for him.
[3:15] Speaker 1: Dogs very very interesting. You won't, in my opinion, to
[3:19] Speaker 1: wait to hear anything out of the Dogs, but they'll
[3:21] Speaker 1: be the ones behind the scenes really working hard. I
[3:23] Speaker 1: mean it looks perfect for them. Metcalf goes into seven,
[3:26] Speaker 1: Galvin Moose six.
[3:27] Speaker 2: Yeah, Burton to Center or Lock or whoever they look
[3:31] Speaker 2: at playing Perth.
[3:32] Speaker 1: Yeah, sure those stories have been gone around for twelve
[3:37] Speaker 1: months and they come from somewhere.
[3:40] Speaker 3: Well what about Perth, Like surely surely Perth have got
[3:43] Speaker 3: to then step up here, like he's a quality half
[3:46] Speaker 3: that's probably the closest thing they're going to get at
[3:48] Speaker 3: the moment to a mark he signing.
[3:50] Speaker 2: The only problem with them I feel. I think we'll
[3:52] Speaker 2: see him go before June thirty because he's too good
[3:55] Speaker 2: a play it and not be playing first grade this
[3:56] Speaker 2: year right And I think a lot of clubs who
[3:59] Speaker 2: are desperate have half there right now, will go hard
[4:01] Speaker 2: for him. So I think that's the only the only
[4:05] Speaker 2: thing we'll see is person will want to get him
[4:07] Speaker 2: right Perth. You know, they need a marquee signing and
[4:10] Speaker 2: you can never have too many good halves. They'll want
[4:12] Speaker 2: to get him, but I think he'll want to sign
[4:14] Speaker 2: somewhere right now, and a club won't just want to
[4:16] Speaker 2: sign him for the rest of the year and then
[4:17] Speaker 2: let him go to Perth.
[4:18] Speaker 1: And I think he'll be having a thing about with Perth.
[4:21] Speaker 1: They they're going to really lend a big fish too,
[4:25] Speaker 1: because Metcast might be having a look at the rister
[4:27] Speaker 1: and going, you know, I'm not sure. I don't know
[4:30] Speaker 1: if I want to jump, I might wait, you know
[4:33] Speaker 1: you want one or two other qualitie players. Well, I
[4:35] Speaker 1: mean there's some quality players, but you know that really high.
[4:38] Speaker 2: Rational there's quality first graders there now. But they don't
[4:41] Speaker 2: have a player there who walks in and you know,
[4:45] Speaker 2: thousands and thousands of kids come up. We're in his jersey,
[4:48] Speaker 2: you know. I mean, there's not a there's not a
[4:49] Speaker 2: player there that attracts all these other players. They've got
[4:52] Speaker 2: a lot of great quality NRL players, but they don't
[4:54] Speaker 2: have a player there who's you know, it's got a
[4:57] Speaker 2: large following and you can just bring sponsors in and he's.
[4:59] Speaker 1: Going to drag extra ten thousand people through the gate.
[5:01] Speaker 1: The people on Perth go, wow, we've got to see
[5:04] Speaker 1: this guy like a munster. But yeah, that's really interesting
[5:07] Speaker 1: and Perth bes Look, they will be desperate. I think
[5:10] Speaker 1: they'll have a really big go at him or attempt
[5:12] Speaker 1: to simply because I mean, one hundred percent foot of
[5:14] Speaker 1: the other night, Gal and James Bracy, James Bracy, they
[5:20] Speaker 1: went again, And I'm sorry, but I agree with Gal.
[5:25] Speaker 1: I'm just going come on, like you's are on the clock,
[5:28] Speaker 1: come on, it's yeah, you've you've gotta let it's time.
[5:33] Speaker 1: You got to land someone big. You've got to be
[5:35] Speaker 1: making more noise.
[5:36] Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm with you on that. Like I know a
[5:39] Speaker 2: lot of people were sitting on Bracy's side, But I
[5:41] Speaker 2: saw both sides of the fence. But I agree with
[5:44] Speaker 2: what Paul Gallan was saying, where you know, you you
[5:48] Speaker 2: can be doing a lot more. Even when they announce
[5:50] Speaker 2: the signing, they're they just kind of up like I'm
[5:52] Speaker 2: looking from their social media, right Perth, I mean P
[5:55] Speaker 2: and G. They've signed two players, like they've signed aj
[5:58] Speaker 2: Alex Johnson and Jerome and lower. Every time they do
[6:00] Speaker 2: this huge promo video and they've got like a P
[6:04] Speaker 2: and G chief speaking over the top of it, like
[6:07] Speaker 2: a Matt Nabel Fox League promo, Like that's how the
[6:09] Speaker 2: production value has gone, whereas Perth has just kind of gone, oh,
[6:12] Speaker 2: you know, we've signed this guy, just a picture of
[6:14] Speaker 2: him and they can't even show the jersey because they've
[6:16] Speaker 2: got no sponsor. So that's just so when they signed Wishi,
[6:19] Speaker 2: for instance, it's just got wishy with a just a
[6:22] Speaker 2: like a black jersey with nothing on it. So it's
[6:24] Speaker 2: a little bit even.
[6:25] Speaker 3: And just the little details like when when Chamis was
[6:28] Speaker 3: on the three sixty on Monday night, like small details
[6:31] Speaker 3: like he was obviously talking in a different tone, like
[6:33] Speaker 3: he was very much talking about the country rather than
[6:35] Speaker 3: the football side and at the same time he had
[6:38] Speaker 3: his suit on and it's just a small little detail,
[6:40] Speaker 3: but he had the little badge.
[6:41] Speaker 1: On spot on.
[6:42] Speaker 2: Jake had the little like the had the.
[6:44] Speaker 3: P and G national flag on on as a on top.
[6:47] Speaker 1: Of his suit.
[6:47] Speaker 3: Like it's just a little touch, but it just shows
[6:49] Speaker 3: that bit of class.
[6:50] Speaker 1: And what Gal said, hey, hang on a second, like
[6:53] Speaker 1: you know they've P and G have brought over like
[6:56] Speaker 1: people of influenced because yeah, someone made the point the
[6:59] Speaker 1: other which is so true. I think it might have
[7:01] Speaker 1: been on three sixty They said, what are you going
[7:03] Speaker 1: to understand about modern media? There's a move away to
[7:07] Speaker 1: a certain extent with younger people, definitely with traditional media
[7:10] Speaker 1: and social media. And the people the P and gf
[7:12] Speaker 1: sent over were very much that social media who you
[7:15] Speaker 1: type of guys will have a really strong affinitive with
[7:19] Speaker 1: and that's what they've done there. And Gal put to
[7:21] Speaker 1: James Pacey what he is doing there and he said,
[7:23] Speaker 1: what expenses do you life? You know, I'm trying to
[7:26] Speaker 1: think you know this cost and the NRLL and everything
[7:28] Speaker 1: like that. Another one to keep a close eye on
[7:31] Speaker 1: that happened during that they were talking James Bracy was
[7:35] Speaker 1: talking about oh, you know, getting Surry kept dispensation and
[7:38] Speaker 1: you know, third parties and whatnot. Gal made the point,
[7:41] Speaker 1: I don't think you should that. He just said blunt
[7:44] Speaker 1: love that I don't necessarily agree with that. What was
[7:47] Speaker 1: interesting he went to Gus and said to Gus what
[7:49] Speaker 1: do you think about that? Gus turned. Gus was on
[7:52] Speaker 1: like you know Gus in club Land, his priorities with
[7:54] Speaker 1: the Bulldogs. He went to James Bracy and no, mate,
[7:58] Speaker 1: he said, it's competition, it's not a charity. Yeah, yeah,
[8:01] Speaker 1: that's what he So it's going to it's going to
[8:03] Speaker 1: It's a very interesting time. So yeah, they'll be chasing Metcalf.
[8:06] Speaker 1: He's one for you Roosters d C. Yeah.
[8:12] Speaker 2: But I think Hugo yes, And to be fair though,
[8:18] Speaker 2: watching Savala and Center our standing, I think I think
[8:21] Speaker 2: he might have played a bit of center because he
[8:22] Speaker 2: was like at Union. He went to Scott's College, so
[8:24] Speaker 2: I think he might have played. And he's a big body.
[8:26] Speaker 2: I think you might have played a bit of inside
[8:27] Speaker 2: outside center and Union man, he looks bloody good in center.
[8:31] Speaker 1: He's a he's a really pure footballer. Yeah, I get
[8:34] Speaker 1: the film, Hugo, you're playing anywhere and he'd fire.
[8:36] Speaker 2: I played with his brother Charlie. He was a schoolboy
[8:39] Speaker 2: union prodigy coming through Charlie Savali. He plays over in
[8:41] Speaker 2: Wales now playing rubber union. But he merely he brought
[8:44] Speaker 2: merely brought him over an SG ball and he was
[8:46] Speaker 2: just like same, big body, just a natural football. It
[8:49] Speaker 2: could put him anywhere, very injury prone, so he didn't
[8:51] Speaker 2: actually end up playing any sort of league then. But yeah,
[8:54] Speaker 2: it's a good family man time.
[8:55] Speaker 1: He might not be right for the Tigers. I mean
[8:58] Speaker 1: they're going to lose LEU at the end of twenty
[8:59] Speaker 1: twenty seven. Bit of time there. They've got duty. He's
[9:02] Speaker 1: not really happened to've been playing great football halfback and
[9:05] Speaker 1: they've got a lot too fine as well. That's there,
[9:07] Speaker 1: so they've got a bit of depth there. But there
[9:10] Speaker 1: might be an interest and the Bunnies. The bunnies there,
[9:13] Speaker 1: I mean Ashton Ward's gone in and doing very well.
[9:16] Speaker 1: But the old Felloway and Bennett Jack you're knowing very well, wouldn't.
[9:19] Speaker 3: Surprise Yeah, I reckon. I think Jamie Humphries is off
[9:23] Speaker 3: contract at the end of this year, so I look
[9:26] Speaker 3: at I look at the Bunnies and think he'd probably
[9:28] Speaker 3: suit their style of footy as well, you know, with
[9:30] Speaker 3: a few blokes. A few blokes there, like the style
[9:33] Speaker 3: of footy he plays where you can play it off
[9:34] Speaker 3: the cuff. But also again what you said, the roosters too,
[9:38] Speaker 3: like if they bring there's rumors beating, like he's only
[9:41] Speaker 3: twenty nine. But Joey marn who's coming back. Possibly so
[9:43] Speaker 3: he'll slop back into the centers. I think he might
[9:45] Speaker 3: play right Santa Coop from memory, Yeah, Joey played right.
[9:48] Speaker 3: But you know they're losing some center debt. So whether
[9:50] Speaker 3: they keep Savala there and they can look at mec
[9:52] Speaker 3: up from the halves, I don't know what's your prediction.
[9:55] Speaker 1: They also signed Ruben Garrick next year give me, give
[10:00] Speaker 1: me your favorite and number two. What do you think?
[10:04] Speaker 3: I think? I think dragons are my favorite.
[10:05] Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I think dragons are sitting on a
[10:08] Speaker 2: war chest. Two. That's that's there. I mean they've got
[10:10] Speaker 2: Scotti drink Water for next year. I think if you
[10:12] Speaker 2: get drink Water and Loop metcalf it's a huge addition
[10:15] Speaker 2: to that side.
[10:15] Speaker 3: And I need points like drinking or give points and
[10:17] Speaker 3: metcalfill give points.
[10:18] Speaker 1: What do you think, is Metcalf what the Dragons are
[10:21] Speaker 1: that lof of the most is not doubt about that.
[10:23] Speaker 1: I've gone Dogs number one.
[10:25] Speaker 2: Wow, Okay, if it was if it was me, I'm.
[10:28] Speaker 1: Looking and and the Dogs make me a good offer
[10:33] Speaker 1: in the ballpark toward what the Dragons are offer, I'd
[10:36] Speaker 1: probably think Dogs. I'll go Dogs one. I'll go Para two.
[10:39] Speaker 1: I've got a feeling that Para might be a sleeper.
[10:42] Speaker 2: I think they like the combination of Moses and Volkman
[10:45] Speaker 2: at the moment. I think that's why, Like they had
[10:47] Speaker 2: Jonah Peazant playing reserve game last week and then I
[10:49] Speaker 2: suspended to come back in. You know, I think they're
[10:52] Speaker 2: liking that combin moment. I don't know if and I
[10:54] Speaker 2: don't know if the combination of Metcalf and Moses would
[10:57] Speaker 2: work too well together. They're very similar players. In my opinion.
[11:01] Speaker 1: I think Metcalf appears to me determined to wear the seven.
[11:04] Speaker 1: He wants to be the chief playmaker. Did that I
[11:08] Speaker 1: think Luke. I think Luke has shown he can do that.
[11:11] Speaker 1: But I think alongside of Moses, I think not necessarily
[11:16] Speaker 1: being second banana, but playing alongside a really dominand hardback.
[11:19] Speaker 1: I think it may even play bitter football.
[11:21] Speaker 3: Yeah.
[11:22] Speaker 2: I think if if he was willing to do that,
[11:24] Speaker 2: because his natural game is a runner, and if he
[11:26] Speaker 2: played that second string under Moses, let him do all
[11:28] Speaker 2: the kicking and that and he could just react, he
[11:31] Speaker 2: would be good. But we saw what he did with
[11:32] Speaker 2: the Warriors last year when he's in fine form playing seven,
[11:35] Speaker 2: so I can see very much that.
[11:37] Speaker 1: Okay, it's time to talk state of Oregon. So what
[11:40] Speaker 1: are we doing here?
[11:41] Speaker 2: What we're going to do is we're just going to
[11:43] Speaker 2: pick our sides, right, because the side gets picked at
[11:45] Speaker 2: the end of this week. So we thought, wouldn't it
[11:47] Speaker 2: be a good idea for us to pick our stateup
[11:51] Speaker 2: oge I was and Queensland one to nineteen and see
[11:54] Speaker 2: if we're how accurate we are on it.
[11:56] Speaker 1: So who gets So, okay, what's up for grabs? We'll
[11:59] Speaker 1: put an if you want, you've got to have some
[12:02] Speaker 1: skin in the game. It's got to be some consequence.
[12:05] Speaker 2: H Yeah, that's true.
[12:06] Speaker 1: Okay, you pick, you pick for me, I'll pick for you.
[12:09] Speaker 2: Right for you. People saw you do the six hour
[12:11] Speaker 2: raw dog in the backyard and you said it was
[12:13] Speaker 2: quite easy in your opinion throw off. What about we
[12:17] Speaker 2: do a ten hour raw dog for you backyard, And
[12:21] Speaker 2: on top of that, Jack and I will have a
[12:24] Speaker 2: small gathering of a party of sorts around you, so
[12:28] Speaker 2: like weit like some of your friends over you know,
[12:30] Speaker 2: I get names Maddie, Nabel over party, Marty down the street.
[12:32] Speaker 2: We're going to have a piss up around you. But
[12:34] Speaker 2: you obviously a raw dog and you can't.
[12:36] Speaker 3: Compete, can't even can't even stand up now, and you have.
[12:39] Speaker 2: To urinate in the bucket again in front of everyone. Men, women, children.
[12:44] Speaker 1: Let me just look at my origin sides. Yeah, I'll
[12:47] Speaker 1: back myself in. Okay, you're on it for me. For you,
[12:51] Speaker 1: you're a rather vain child, and you've you've always got
[12:56] Speaker 1: new clothes on and always look look at your best tear.
[12:59] Speaker 1: What will do if I win? I'm gonna take you
[13:02] Speaker 1: to the local Viny's the second hand store, you know,
[13:05] Speaker 1: the Red Cross place where you go and you buy
[13:07] Speaker 1: all the second hand clothes.
[13:07] Speaker 2: Familiar that's where you shop.
[13:09] Speaker 1: Yeah, well I do sometimes I go Darling clothes. But
[13:12] Speaker 1: I get to pick the gear. And you're gonna wear
[13:14] Speaker 1: it all weekend. You're gonna work it. You're gonna wear
[13:16] Speaker 1: it on you gotta wear it on a Saturday and Sunday.
[13:18] Speaker 3: And he works Sundays too, also sideline being yep, yeah, yeah, okay,
[13:28] Speaker 3: I'll do it.
[13:28] Speaker 1: That's good.
[13:29] Speaker 3: So basically, so basically, just to clarify it, so let's
[13:32] Speaker 3: just say you get your select, you name your squad
[13:34] Speaker 3: of twenty and whoever has a selection that's a point
[13:37] Speaker 3: each and whoever has the most points essentially wins.
[13:39] Speaker 2: Yeah, so we're gonna go one to nine m but
[13:41] Speaker 2: the six pm bench for News and queens Ain't. And
[13:43] Speaker 2: then when the sides are announced, we'll tally it up
[13:45] Speaker 2: and whoever gets the most points based on who they've
[13:47] Speaker 2: picked in that one to nine am.
[13:49] Speaker 1: Okay, if it ends up with drawer Jack has just
[13:51] Speaker 1: come down to simple.
[13:53] Speaker 2: Paper, we'll do a running race or an arm wrestle.
[13:58] Speaker 1: Right, what's first one we're going to do.
[14:00] Speaker 2: First, Let's start with Queensland. And what we'll do is
[14:03] Speaker 2: we'll do we'll do our backs one to seven. You
[14:05] Speaker 2: can start with that, and then I'll do my backs
[14:06] Speaker 2: and then we'll go the forward pack and then the bench.
[14:09] Speaker 2: Okay with that, so you can go one to seven
[14:10] Speaker 2: first for the Queensland.
[14:12] Speaker 1: Very very interesting. There's a little bit of male going
[14:15] Speaker 1: around that Reese Walsh might not be the starting lineup.
[14:19] Speaker 1: He'll definitely be in the however, Okay, I've gone Reese
[14:22] Speaker 1: Walsh full back. That's what I've gone in my opinion,
[14:24] Speaker 1: he just did. Billy's a massive fan and what he
[14:28] Speaker 1: did at the back end of last year, I mean,
[14:30] Speaker 1: big game performer. On one wing, Sew and Cobbo Selwyn's
[14:35] Speaker 1: finding form. He's looking good at the Dolphins, and I
[14:37] Speaker 1: reckon Billy get the best out of him, and a
[14:39] Speaker 1: bit of a Smoky. On the other wing, I've gone
[14:41] Speaker 1: Jojo for Feedah. Yes, big and strong and I think
[14:46] Speaker 1: he would. I think he got tremendous at original level.
[14:49] Speaker 1: But two centers Robert Toyer. Of course, what he did
[14:52] Speaker 1: last year was exceptional. The other center, I've gone the
[14:55] Speaker 1: hammer Hamaso is in there. Okay, we got Now this
[15:00] Speaker 1: is interesting, right our halves now losing Tom did and
[15:06] Speaker 1: who's going to play seven? So Billy would have made
[15:10] Speaker 1: Billy would have given this a lot of thought. Now
[15:12] Speaker 1: if you go to combination, if you go cam Munster
[15:16] Speaker 1: seven and Pong the six. The thinking about it is
[15:19] Speaker 1: Rye Wals left foot kicker Klen's left foot, then they're
[15:23] Speaker 1: all lefties. However, the man who would go in if
[15:27] Speaker 1: it's not that combination, will be Sam Walker. I believe
[15:30] Speaker 1: Sam Walker's doesn't have a big kick as far as
[15:33] Speaker 1: long kicks. Sam dinks the ball. You know he's not
[15:36] Speaker 1: a long kicker. So so the thing about it is
[15:40] Speaker 1: with Sam. I think the thing that will seem what
[15:44] Speaker 1: Billy will look at with Sam is what he does defensively.
[15:47] Speaker 1: There are a couple on the on the weekend when
[15:50] Speaker 1: Chris Randall scored to try and it through his inside shoulder.
[15:53] Speaker 1: I think what Sam. I think what Billy will do
[15:55] Speaker 1: with Sam. I think you'll look closely, Maybe he'll talk
[15:59] Speaker 1: to Sam, maybe won't, because there's you don't know with Sam.
[16:03] Speaker 1: Was it a bad miss or was it a circumstantial miss?
[16:06] Speaker 1: And people say, well, what's the difference. A bad miss
[16:10] Speaker 1: is when you dangle an arm out or you just
[16:12] Speaker 1: do a completely bad miss read and it goes through.
[16:15] Speaker 1: That's a bad miss. A consequential miss is that something
[16:18] Speaker 1: happens and the bloke on the inside turns in or
[16:21] Speaker 1: he's not communicating, or the bloke on the outside is
[16:24] Speaker 1: not communicating, and you know, you know what he's doing,
[16:26] Speaker 1: and maybe you're trying to protect the three on two
[16:28] Speaker 1: of it.
[16:28] Speaker 2: You don't react quick enough, you don't really quick enough.
[16:30] Speaker 1: That's a circumstantial miss. I think you'll go. I think
[16:33] Speaker 1: you'll do a bit of thought there. I'm going to
[16:36] Speaker 1: go camera monster seven, Kla Ponger six.
[16:38] Speaker 2: Oh that's your pick.
[16:40] Speaker 1: Okay. So yeah, that's why I've gone on forwards. So
[16:43] Speaker 1: kem Master Kahl and Ponger, Reyese Walsh at the back.
[16:46] Speaker 2: Okay, I'll go my one to seven for Queens, and
[16:48] Speaker 2: then I'm with you. I went REYE. Walsh at the back.
[16:51] Speaker 2: There my two wingers, okay, I went Selwyn Cobbo one wing.
[16:56] Speaker 2: And then I think he's playing this week.
[16:58] Speaker 1: If he's not, hang on, there's none of that.
[17:05] Speaker 2: Okay. Well, I think he's back after a long stint.
[17:07] Speaker 1: Okay. And here's the thing, Jack. If what happens is
[17:10] Speaker 1: if we name a player and he gets injured this weekend.
[17:13] Speaker 2: Still lose a point. Yeah as well, I'm going to
[17:17] Speaker 2: take a gamble Xavier Coats. I believe he's playing this week.
[17:22] Speaker 2: I know there's there's rumors around that performs. Well, I
[17:26] Speaker 2: think he's he's he's an incumbent for the last few
[17:29] Speaker 2: years and he's such a weapon for him. I'm going
[17:31] Speaker 2: to go x x x x x x in the
[17:36] Speaker 2: centers Hammer and Robert Toyer was very was very bullish
[17:41] Speaker 2: on maybe moving Hammer to the wing and Jackson Purgue
[17:44] Speaker 2: in a center, who's definitely up to Origin. Jackson Purgue,
[17:47] Speaker 2: I believe, But I think you lose a bit not
[17:49] Speaker 2: having Hammer in the centers. He's never really been on
[17:51] Speaker 2: that sting. And actually, I'll do my harsh and then
[17:54] Speaker 2: I got a point to make, and then I've gone
[17:56] Speaker 2: Cameron Munster and the seven's the big one. I mean,
[18:00] Speaker 2: you've got Dalla Tree Evans, a potential recall, Sam Walker,
[18:03] Speaker 2: he's Halvest, part of the roosters, a couple others. People
[18:06] Speaker 2: aren't really talking about. Jake Clifford, big Red Dog. I
[18:09] Speaker 2: think he's been doing a great job and he's got
[18:10] Speaker 2: a long kicking game. Was the captain of the Under Twenties'
[18:13] Speaker 2: Origin where he scored a hat trick. Actually I remember
[18:15] Speaker 2: watching it. That was a while ago. And Jaden Campbell,
[18:18] Speaker 2: who's also a Queenslander who and I know how much
[18:21] Speaker 2: sluts he loves running have but I think they've got
[18:24] Speaker 2: Sammy Walker in there a few years origin camps. I
[18:27] Speaker 2: think he'll look to Sammy Walker. But a point I
[18:30] Speaker 2: wanted to make. What I the thing about Queensland is
[18:33] Speaker 2: what I like. You know, they're very pick and stick, right,
[18:35] Speaker 2: They've always been picking stick people have done a job before.
[18:38] Speaker 2: Whether they're a little bit under prepared physically or in
[18:40] Speaker 2: bad form, they'll still pick them because they trust them
[18:42] Speaker 2: and they deserve that because they won last year. They're
[18:45] Speaker 2: the incumbents, right Valentine Holmes. Do you see when he
[18:48] Speaker 2: came out the other day and basically said I'm not
[18:50] Speaker 2: playing near good enough to be picked for stat of origin,
[18:52] Speaker 2: like almost say, don't pick me. Do you think has
[18:55] Speaker 2: there ever been a New South Wales player that's sort
[18:56] Speaker 2: of done that? Do you think.
[19:00] Speaker 1: I nothing comes to mind, Coope.
[19:02] Speaker 2: It's a very Queensland thing.
[19:04] Speaker 1: It's very it's a util Queensland do very well Queensland
[19:07] Speaker 1: New South Wales is someone's not playing well, generally most
[19:13] Speaker 1: times they won't get selected Queensland. If you've done it
[19:16] Speaker 1: before for them, they'll keep picking up. And the best
[19:18] Speaker 1: example to use from the past with Feller called del
[19:21] Speaker 1: Sheer rowdy Shearer Rowdy was a great player, played fullback
[19:24] Speaker 1: or he could play wings. It made very versatile, played
[19:27] Speaker 1: six a few times in Center's mate. Hell of a player,
[19:31] Speaker 1: but made he could be. He could have been playing
[19:33] Speaker 1: reserve rate at Mainly or the Broncos and he would
[19:36] Speaker 1: ring the coach. He'd ring Arthur Boots and or Wally
[19:39] Speaker 1: when Fatty was coach and go, hey mate, I'm ready
[19:42] Speaker 1: to go. Just tell me I'll perform. And they'd always
[19:44] Speaker 1: pick him and he'd always kill it.
[19:46] Speaker 2: Remember they picked Michael Jennings out of reserve grade one year?
[19:48] Speaker 1: Did they do you remember that he played?
[19:50] Speaker 3: I think he played reserve grade the week before and
[19:52] Speaker 3: then last year I think it was last year or
[19:55] Speaker 3: the year before, maybe twenty twenty three or twenty four.
[20:00] Speaker 3: Connor Watson, so Connor when he played his Origin debut
[20:03] Speaker 3: year he played the first two rounds of reserve.
[20:05] Speaker 2: Go for the rooster, I think, Gussie.
[20:07] Speaker 1: Listen to me. I'm saying we don't usually do, but
[20:11] Speaker 1: we've done a few. But traditionally Queensland are the ones.
[20:14] Speaker 2: But that's what's the one thing I do like like
[20:17] Speaker 2: for a Queensland to come out and Valentine Holmes is
[20:19] Speaker 2: when you talk about picking and sticking. He's probably been
[20:21] Speaker 2: one of the most consistent Queensland players of the last decade.
[20:24] Speaker 2: Like he's always shown up for him. It's just like
[20:27] Speaker 2: Dane gayguy. He's always sort of shown up in that
[20:29] Speaker 2: arena and he's been their goalkicker for a while. He's
[20:31] Speaker 2: always nailed, like sidel conversions in big moments. For him
[20:34] Speaker 2: to come out and be like, you know, don't pick me,
[20:37] Speaker 2: I thought it's a very it's a very big thing
[20:40] Speaker 2: for a person to do.
[20:41] Speaker 1: Very much Queensland, putting the state and the team above yourself.
[20:44] Speaker 2: I just thought it was good.
[20:45] Speaker 1: Whatever Billy picks, you know, they're ready to go. Yeah,
[20:48] Speaker 1: he does that much work on him. So let's let's
[20:50] Speaker 1: recount when I've gone the back line. I've gone Rys Walsh,
[20:53] Speaker 1: two wingers, So and Cobbo and Jojo Jaffeda, Senator's Robert
[20:57] Speaker 1: Toy and the Hammer, my Halves, Lomponger and Camera Monster
[21:02] Speaker 1: in the seven.
[21:02] Speaker 2: I did Reees, Walsh, Xavier Coats and Selwyn come on
[21:05] Speaker 2: the wings, Robert Toyer and Hammer in the centers and
[21:08] Speaker 2: then Munster and Sam Walker.
[21:10] Speaker 1: So you go to the forwards. Okay, forwards, My thirteen,
[21:14] Speaker 1: which these days is basically a front railway. In middle
[21:18] Speaker 1: is Ruben Cotter as the yardage man. He has been
[21:22] Speaker 1: an exceptional player at original level for Coinsland. Here's one
[21:25] Speaker 1: for you along the lines of pick and stick Cook Capeble.
[21:29] Speaker 1: He has been an amazing performer. He's one of those
[21:32] Speaker 1: guys that they just you just keep picking him. He's
[21:35] Speaker 1: the glue in that team. And if I'm going to
[21:36] Speaker 1: pick some young guys here and so, you need to
[21:39] Speaker 1: cape Well, is.
[21:40] Speaker 3: He your right or left back row?
[21:42] Speaker 1: Usually he's a left back rower because on the right.
[21:45] Speaker 1: One of the reason I've got him in I've got
[21:46] Speaker 1: a hell of Luky.
[21:47] Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm with you. I Reckon, that's I Reckon. That's
[21:50] Speaker 3: a good pick. He's He's been very consistent for the Cowboys.
[21:53] Speaker 1: My temptation was to go Finny Fielyaki and Hill of Luky,
[21:57] Speaker 1: but they're both sort of inexperience to that level. Also,
[22:00] Speaker 1: I've gone cape Well hill On Luki.
[22:01] Speaker 3: Very very similar themes too with with Luki too. Cobba
[22:04] Speaker 3: is the fact that I remember Toyer last year, he'd
[22:08] Speaker 3: had some acl injuries and he'd come back and he
[22:10] Speaker 3: only played a handful of first grade games and then debuted.
[22:13] Speaker 3: Luki's had a very similar He's a bit older, but
[22:15] Speaker 3: he's had a very similar path through. He's had a
[22:17] Speaker 3: lot of like he's had to overcome a little long
[22:19] Speaker 3: term in I.
[22:19] Speaker 2: Think he's at two a cls. Yeah, I remember I
[22:21] Speaker 2: played against him a couple of times. He's an absolute machine.
[22:24] Speaker 2: He's that hard to tackle.
[22:25] Speaker 3: He's a good player, and this year he's just been
[22:27] Speaker 3: like he's just been destructive on that right edge.
[22:30] Speaker 1: And look up front, pretty simple. I've got Tino, Pat Carrigan,
[22:35] Speaker 1: Harry Grant at the ra.
[22:39] Speaker 2: Yeah, mate, I'm not far off. I started my lock
[22:41] Speaker 2: as well. I Reuben Cotter, and then I had Cape
[22:44] Speaker 2: Kirk Caate well as well. And then but rather than Luki,
[22:47] Speaker 2: I went FINIFILIARKI the right back roll for the Redcliff Dovehins.
[22:50] Speaker 2: I think he's been outstanding all year. And then exact
[22:53] Speaker 2: same front row, Pat Carrigan, Harry Grant, Tino far Arsenal
[22:57] Speaker 2: maler Owy.
[22:58] Speaker 1: Okay, nice one, right, This is interesting six man but
[23:01] Speaker 1: I love the six man bench. But he just gives
[23:03] Speaker 1: you some flexibility. It allows you to pick some niche players,
[23:08] Speaker 1: you know, for certain situations.
[23:09] Speaker 3: Hey. By the way, there's no issue with your point system.
[23:12] Speaker 3: There's no issue with swap jerseys, like, for instance, if
[23:14] Speaker 3: Billy picks Pat Carrigan at thirteen and Cotter at eight.
[23:18] Speaker 2: No, as long as they're in the nineteen. Are you
[23:20] Speaker 2: happy with that, big.
[23:21] Speaker 1: M Yeah, No, that's cool. That's sweet. Okay. On the bench,
[23:25] Speaker 1: my fourteen is Max ploth Oh, the plath Man. Plath Man.
[23:28] Speaker 1: My understanding is he's got a lot of support from
[23:30] Speaker 1: some senior players. They love him, and just the way
[23:33] Speaker 1: he plays, you just know he'd be able to elevate himself.
[23:35] Speaker 1: He can play nine. I do prefer him as a
[23:38] Speaker 1: thirteen so he can cover there for a full Yaky
[23:42] Speaker 1: Phullyarky is. He has been phenomenal for the Dolphins. He's
[23:46] Speaker 1: the Lindsay Collins. Of course, he's got to be in
[23:49] Speaker 1: the squad, Sweet Lindsay. Next one's a bit of a
[23:53] Speaker 1: it's a smoky but I think this bloke has He's
[23:55] Speaker 1: been very very good for me. Only Kobe Heatherington I've gone.
[23:58] Speaker 2: And we didn't play last week, is back this week.
[24:01] Speaker 1: That's yeah, that's the Yeah, that's right. I was toss
[24:05] Speaker 1: between he and Thomas mcayley. Who's been very good. But
[24:08] Speaker 1: I'm going to go Kobe and my eighteen and nineteen.
[24:11] Speaker 1: I've gone Ezra Man at eighteen, Jackson Purdue at nineteen.
[24:16] Speaker 2: That's juicy Jesus, juicy juicy Lucy. All right, well, my
[24:20] Speaker 2: six man bench, I went fourteen. Max Plath as well,
[24:24] Speaker 2: one of Harry Grant's favorite players, the Max Plaoth is
[24:26] Speaker 2: he I remember a couple of years ago being like, mate,
[24:28] Speaker 2: this play exact good like when he first debuted. He
[24:30] Speaker 2: reminds you of a lot of Harry. Actually, how he
[24:32] Speaker 2: plays very gets to a heap of work. There was
[24:35] Speaker 2: a game last week that the Dolphins. I forgot who
[24:38] Speaker 2: they beat, but he set up about three tries. One
[24:41] Speaker 2: of the tries actually ended up on an edge because
[24:42] Speaker 2: he moved to loche and then ended up on an
[24:44] Speaker 2: edge and threw a four men cut out ball, hit
[24:46] Speaker 2: the Selvin cop on the left wing and scored and outstands.
[24:49] Speaker 1: There his old man serialist.
[24:52] Speaker 3: He was there last year when we run, when you
[24:54] Speaker 3: and me went our money on Fletcher Sharp Max Brown.
[24:56] Speaker 3: Last year he was Max Plath. Rockster was injured at
[24:59] Speaker 3: the time.
[25:00] Speaker 2: So he rocked up and he was drinking under injury.
[25:02] Speaker 2: You know what, I'll take him out of myself. I'm
[25:05] Speaker 2: professional to drinking on the job.
[25:07] Speaker 3: He's thinking about him to come on as an interchange
[25:10] Speaker 3: for Harry or is he I.
[25:12] Speaker 2: Think you would have that plan. I think it's hard
[25:14] Speaker 2: to play eight years hooker, so I think you put
[25:16] Speaker 2: him on, you know that fifteen minutes either side of halftime.
[25:20] Speaker 2: I think so he's my fourteen HeLa Luki on the
[25:24] Speaker 2: bench as well. I got Tommy Gilbert on there as well.
[25:27] Speaker 2: I know Slats he's a big fan of Tommy Gilbert.
[25:29] Speaker 2: They missed him last year's Origin series. Lindsey Collins on
[25:33] Speaker 2: that bench, Trentley Aero on the six man bench as well,
[25:37] Speaker 2: and then Kaylem Ponger And I think you gotta I
[25:39] Speaker 2: didn't have Kayln Ponger in there because you know, in
[25:42] Speaker 2: that starting lineup, given that, I don't think they'll look
[25:45] Speaker 2: to him to play half. But I think you've got
[25:47] Speaker 2: to have a plan for KP like he's too good
[25:49] Speaker 2: to not be in this side. And I think the
[25:51] Speaker 2: only thing that sort of ventures out is that Reese
[25:53] Speaker 2: Walsh was there last resourced in the final series last year.
[25:57] Speaker 2: I think is going a long way potentially him getting picked.
[26:00] Speaker 1: I didn't pick Caln pymer Mate. Honestly, LORI daily would
[26:04] Speaker 1: strip nude and just celebrate a running down the main street.
[26:08] Speaker 2: I would love to see KP in the starting one.
[26:11] Speaker 3: My thing is with KP over the years. I actually
[26:13] Speaker 3: i'd argue other than maybe his first year twenty eighteen,
[26:16] Speaker 3: I'd say the last two weeks and if he has
[26:18] Speaker 3: an absolute blinder again this weekend for Magic Ground could
[26:21] Speaker 3: be the best form he's ever been in Origin.
[26:25] Speaker 2: And I think he's head I think his mentality and
[26:27] Speaker 2: headspace as a leader now is just going to the
[26:29] Speaker 2: next levels under justin the hole spot on, I think
[26:31] Speaker 2: it is. But there's my nineteen.
[26:33] Speaker 1: As well, right New South Wales, all right.
[26:37] Speaker 2: One to seven New South Wales, my number one, James Tedesco,
[26:43] Speaker 2: you know, very controversial people, him and Dylan Edwards. I
[26:45] Speaker 2: don't think you'd go wrong picking either of them. But
[26:48] Speaker 2: I just think Teddy's in a with how the game
[26:51] Speaker 2: is attacking wise, I think he's too. He offers just
[26:54] Speaker 2: a little bit more than deal with his attack wingers.
[26:59] Speaker 2: Brian to and Josh ad Oka. I've got them in there.
[27:02] Speaker 2: The center's Latrell Mitchell. I was very tempted up until
[27:06] Speaker 2: maybe this morning to pick Ca Tony Staggs. But I've
[27:10] Speaker 2: actually gone Stephen Crichton and that right center, and then
[27:13] Speaker 2: my halves Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary.
[27:15] Speaker 1: Okay, yep, well I've gone. I've got Dylan Edwards at
[27:18] Speaker 1: the back, purely on the fact that the striking combination
[27:20] Speaker 1: Withaoh and Nathan Clear, the familiarity, my two wingers Brian
[27:26] Speaker 1: Toto and Josh had o'ca like you, my two senators Latroll,
[27:29] Speaker 1: Mitchell and Stephen Crichton on with you. Crichton has not
[27:32] Speaker 1: been in great form for the Dogs, but he's a
[27:34] Speaker 1: big game player. He'll elevate, he'll get it done. Mitchell
[27:38] Speaker 1: Moses at six or just building. There's a little bit
[27:42] Speaker 1: of support starting to build for Jerome Lue there for
[27:44] Speaker 1: a little while, just on combination.
[27:46] Speaker 2: Losing Nathan, losing Happy was big for the time and
[27:49] Speaker 2: unfortunately Jerome like the Tigers the last couple of weeks.
[27:52] Speaker 1: And Mitch's performance on the weekend, Yeah, he got parent,
[27:55] Speaker 1: he dragged Paramount a victory.
[27:57] Speaker 2: And I think of all the halves you so wells have,
[28:00] Speaker 2: Mitch Moses has been the best at orangin level, Like
[28:03] Speaker 2: I would say either like the performance that he has
[28:06] Speaker 2: had at Origin level, He's been every single time he's played,
[28:09] Speaker 2: he's turned up and played really like people sort of
[28:11] Speaker 2: forget that a little bit because it's sort of chopped
[28:13] Speaker 2: in change where it's been Jerome and Mitch and you
[28:15] Speaker 2: haven't seen a whole lot of Mitch and Cleary together.
[28:17] Speaker 3: And we won Round one game one last year. Then
[28:20] Speaker 3: did he get injured for Game two?
[28:22] Speaker 2: Yeah?
[28:22] Speaker 1: Got some swagger, mate, That's the thing he's got that
[28:25] Speaker 1: he's got that healthy arrogance to excel at Origin Mitch
[28:28] Speaker 1: Moses and Nathan Cleary.
[28:31] Speaker 2: Yeah. Okay, pack coop starting at third end, I've gone
[28:35] Speaker 2: Isaiah Yoh at third end to start my back rollers.
[28:39] Speaker 2: Back Rollers is a red hot field from this always
[28:41] Speaker 2: has been. It's so hard to pick, but I think
[28:43] Speaker 2: the two form back rollers in the cop right now
[28:46] Speaker 2: right side and Hudson Young on the left side. My
[28:51] Speaker 2: pack up front take the sting out of the game.
[28:53] Speaker 2: Michie Barnett, Rhys Robson and Adam fanol Blake.
[28:57] Speaker 1: Okay, I've gone Isaiah yo at thirteen. In previous series,
[29:02] Speaker 1: I've said before I'd play Isaiah off the bench and
[29:06] Speaker 1: put Kem Murray on. Let Cam Murray go with his
[29:08] Speaker 1: fast feet and just playing simple, not ball playing in
[29:12] Speaker 1: their first twenty minutes twenty five minutes. Bring Isaiah on
[29:14] Speaker 1: taking take advantage of fatigue side. But in this series,
[29:18] Speaker 1: I want Nathan Cleary. I want familarity around him to
[29:22] Speaker 1: get him off to a good start. So I've got
[29:24] Speaker 1: Isaiah at thirteen. Angus Crichton is one edge back rower
[29:29] Speaker 1: just mate, you know, like a couple of series ago, mate,
[29:33] Speaker 1: he was. He just bullied Queensland in a submission and
[29:37] Speaker 1: he always performs there. So Angus right side Humole like Huatu,
[29:41] Speaker 1: has just been devastating form up front, different looking team
[29:48] Speaker 1: out front. Adam Vanola Blake for me, it's just what
[29:50] Speaker 1: a bonus he's been. If he can play his best
[29:53] Speaker 1: football mate he could get, he'll get the Wally Lewis Medal.
[29:55] Speaker 1: He's that sort of player. Rehees Robson at hooker head
[29:59] Speaker 1: a Blake Blake. They will go on neck and neck.
[30:03] Speaker 1: But recent in the last two weeks has just played
[30:06] Speaker 1: better in my opinion. And Jackson Ford. I've gone Jackson
[30:09] Speaker 1: up there with the way the game, with the speed
[30:11] Speaker 1: of the game and how it's happened. At the moment,
[30:13] Speaker 1: he's he's been arguably the best front rower in the
[30:16] Speaker 1: competition this year. He's been exceptional for the Warriors, and
[30:21] Speaker 1: I think he deserves his chance. And he's a bloke.
[30:23] Speaker 1: You put it, you put him on that first twenty
[30:25] Speaker 1: five minutes, just let him go, and I think you
[30:27] Speaker 1: do it. I think you do it. Jay.
[30:29] Speaker 3: He's a great player. It has been for a long
[30:31] Speaker 3: time too. He's been very understated. It's like good to
[30:33] Speaker 3: see him. Like I remember it might have been twenty nineteen.
[30:36] Speaker 3: I played a game of reserve great against the Dragons
[30:38] Speaker 3: one weekend and we're doing our I remember, we're doing
[30:41] Speaker 3: our preview and the week before he was playing thirteen
[30:44] Speaker 3: or back row, ran for three hundred meters and score
[30:47] Speaker 3: four tries. And this is when he was at the Dragons.
[30:50] Speaker 3: He's off contract at the end of twenty twenty seven.
[30:52] Speaker 3: If you're the Dragons, you're trying to bring a local
[30:54] Speaker 3: junior back.
[30:55] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[30:55] Speaker 3: I know.
[30:56] Speaker 2: Wow, he's a well oiled machine. That's why they named
[30:58] Speaker 2: him Ford. Well, this isn't a live road either, Okay,
[31:03] Speaker 2: could hurt your bench. The bench is hard. The bench
[31:06] Speaker 2: is so hard, almost as hard as I am right
[31:08] Speaker 2: now just talking footy with you guys. But I went
[31:10] Speaker 2: forward had because the dogs, sorry the Ford, and I
[31:13] Speaker 2: went Blake Brayley. I think tossing up like a few
[31:17] Speaker 2: weeks ago, I was thinking happy. I think Blake's had
[31:21] Speaker 2: a couple of really good games in there. He struggled
[31:24] Speaker 2: to sort of get a lot of rock speed with
[31:25] Speaker 2: that shark pack that he's playing behind the man who
[31:27] Speaker 2: struggled here and there with different games. But I think
[31:30] Speaker 2: Brails deserves his chance was fit. I would have went
[31:35] Speaker 2: happy too if you hadn't got to spend for three weeks.
[31:38] Speaker 2: And then I've got Jackson Ford on the bench, our
[31:40] Speaker 2: man Cam Murray on the bench. This is where it
[31:43] Speaker 2: gets hard. I've got Angus Crichton on the bench as
[31:47] Speaker 2: well as as the back roll back up and he's
[31:49] Speaker 2: also he's probably one of the few back rolls you
[31:52] Speaker 2: can also put through the middle because he's such a
[31:53] Speaker 2: big body. And then my my eighteenth and nineteenth on
[31:57] Speaker 2: that six man bench. I've chopped and changed all day,
[32:01] Speaker 2: but I went Ethan Strange. I've gone Ethan Strange because
[32:04] Speaker 2: he's originally a center, so he's got the outside back
[32:06] Speaker 2: coverage for you if a winger goes down, you can
[32:08] Speaker 2: push one of the centers to the wing and put
[32:09] Speaker 2: stranger there, or he can cover the halves, which I
[32:12] Speaker 2: think with this six man bench, you'd probably need someone
[32:15] Speaker 2: who can cover your halves. Now at the moment, it's
[32:17] Speaker 2: very hard. And then do I get an outside back
[32:21] Speaker 2: or do I go I've gone I've gone Tyler Kohler
[32:27] Speaker 2: as well on that just to cover full back.
[32:29] Speaker 3: Well, six man bench, now you don't need blokes. They
[32:31] Speaker 3: can play multiple isn't You can have specialists in each position.
[32:34] Speaker 2: I was going to have Key on them Hungy as well,
[32:38] Speaker 2: just to give a bit more through the middle. But
[32:40] Speaker 2: I think when you've got blokes up Murray Ford Yo
[32:42] Speaker 2: through the middle, they can play big minutes.
[32:44] Speaker 1: Okay, I've just to my bench. On the fact that
[32:46] Speaker 1: I think it's going to be a high speed game.
[32:49] Speaker 1: Laurie and Billy will want to get to the referee,
[32:51] Speaker 1: have a discussion and say, okay, how is this game
[32:53] Speaker 1: going to be adjudicated, and how it's going to be
[32:55] Speaker 1: adjudicated in the style of game will dictate what you're
[32:58] Speaker 1: going to do with your bench. And the bench that
[33:01] Speaker 1: I've picked is lends itself to the speed of an
[33:06] Speaker 1: NRL game, just going up another five percent, it says
[33:11] Speaker 1: examply a lot of tired big blokes out there. So
[33:13] Speaker 1: on the bench by number fourteen, I've got Ethan Strange. Yep,
[33:16] Speaker 1: he's a first blake I'd picked on the bench. He
[33:18] Speaker 1: could just cover, mate, he can cover nine halves if
[33:22] Speaker 1: he needs to, he can. He's played center with the
[33:27] Speaker 1: Orange level eighteen.
[33:29] Speaker 2: Originally a center originally was they developed into a five
[33:33] Speaker 2: and he's that. I don't know if anyone saw the
[33:34] Speaker 2: game on the weekend they played against Penrith, mate, he's
[33:37] Speaker 2: he's Ethan changed twenty one. He went on a Kangaroos
[33:39] Speaker 2: tour last year, as you know, an emu, but he
[33:43] Speaker 2: was strong. There was one stage Scott Sorenson got his
[33:45] Speaker 2: hands on him and he just picked him up and
[33:47] Speaker 2: threw him straight off. I haven't seen someone that strong
[33:50] Speaker 2: like for how small he is.
[33:52] Speaker 1: Though the start of this year he started slow because
[33:55] Speaker 1: he moved over the right side. But now that beautiful
[33:58] Speaker 1: left foot he's got is using it step out and
[34:00] Speaker 1: draw the outside defenders. So it's you can play him
[34:03] Speaker 1: mister bad anyway. So Ethan's Strange, no brainer, Hudson Young.
[34:07] Speaker 1: My god, when he comes on after twenty five minutes,
[34:09] Speaker 1: the impact that he could have deadly be huge. Keenan
[34:13] Speaker 1: Klum and Tonguey. He can play middle, he can play
[34:15] Speaker 1: edge if you need him to Cam Murray coming off.
[34:18] Speaker 1: He is just one of the biggest aces in the
[34:21] Speaker 1: pack with He's got a.
[34:23] Speaker 3: Good win rate too being in the squad. I think
[34:25] Speaker 3: because he's had injuries the last few years he's been.
[34:28] Speaker 3: I think he's like series win percentage in terms of
[34:30] Speaker 3: being involved in a series.
[34:31] Speaker 1: He's really high. My next man on the bench called
[34:35] Speaker 1: number eighteen will be Dylan Lucas. Dylan Lucas been exceptional
[34:39] Speaker 1: for the Newcastle Knights in the last couple of years.
[34:42] Speaker 1: He can play edge, back, row up, but I tear
[34:43] Speaker 1: what he can play center just as well. When he
[34:46] Speaker 1: plays center, he is so much like Bradman Best. So
[34:49] Speaker 1: I think that one is just a no brainer. He's
[34:52] Speaker 1: got to be there now, one dumber nineteen. This is
[34:55] Speaker 1: what I mean about how the game is going to
[34:57] Speaker 1: be adjudicated. If the game is going to be a
[34:59] Speaker 1: million miles and now you know what, all of a sudden,
[35:01] Speaker 1: you know the game's flying. There's twenty minutes to go.
[35:04] Speaker 1: We need a try or to mate, get Fletcher Sharp out.
[35:07] Speaker 2: Think, Oh you love the sharp man.
[35:09] Speaker 1: I love it.
[35:10] Speaker 3: He just he's tinny, isn't He.
[35:12] Speaker 1: Can just he can find the line all the time.
[35:15] Speaker 1: I said him the other night. He reminds me of
[35:17] Speaker 1: this great old englandsh player Gary Schofield, who was called
[35:19] Speaker 1: the Poacher. He just finds a try and that's it.
[35:22] Speaker 1: If that last fifteen twenty minutes and made the games
[35:26] Speaker 1: on the line, you need it. You need to try
[35:28] Speaker 1: and chance and almost certainly both middles, both middle packs
[35:33] Speaker 1: are going to be out on their feet. Just go, mate,
[35:36] Speaker 1: I don't care where I'm going to put you. I'm
[35:37] Speaker 1: going to throw you on there. Get a double for.
[35:39] Speaker 2: Me, Yeah, do something.
[35:40] Speaker 3: Well.
[35:40] Speaker 2: He's similar like if they put a kp or a
[35:43] Speaker 2: Reese Walsh on that Queensland bench, you can put him.
[35:46] Speaker 2: You can put him anywhere after twenty minutes. I think
[35:48] Speaker 2: they remember when Billy Slater returned to State of Origin.
[35:51] Speaker 2: They put Cala Ponger on the bench at fourteen and
[35:53] Speaker 2: they brought him on and he played through the middle
[35:55] Speaker 2: and just the spark that he brought onto that field,
[35:58] Speaker 2: like it just blew the game right open. Fletcher Sharp
[36:00] Speaker 2: can do that. It's a it is like we look
[36:03] Speaker 2: at the back round blokes we left out like Jacob
[36:04] Speaker 2: Preston and those kind of guys like for New South Wales,
[36:08] Speaker 2: Like we just said, we to have that many backgrounds
[36:10] Speaker 2: like Hudson, Young, hmol Angus Crichton, Dylan Lucas and Jacob
[36:13] Speaker 2: Preston all putting their hand up Jesus a red off field.
[36:16] Speaker 1: That's the hardest thing about Pressed though. Like Pressed, it
[36:20] Speaker 1: was desperate to get him in there. But like with
[36:22] Speaker 1: Dylan Lucas, as I said before, he can play Santa
[36:25] Speaker 1: so easily. Yeah, well as well as he can play
[36:27] Speaker 1: back raw. I like Keon because he can play middle. Uh.
[36:31] Speaker 1: Just it's a tough one. It was a really tough one.
[36:34] Speaker 2: I really like. I like Keon as a player.
[36:36] Speaker 1: Yeh, big time. So Ethan Strange, Hudson, Young, Keim and
[36:38] Speaker 1: Klum and Tangy, Cam Murray, Dylan Lucas, Fletcher Sharp. There
[36:42] Speaker 1: we go, gentlemen, the.
[36:43] Speaker 2: Bets on ten our dog. Reiterate ten hour raw Dog
[36:47] Speaker 2: for you and with the party going on as well,
[36:49] Speaker 2: where we're drinking and you're not yep, and for you.
[36:52] Speaker 2: It was taking me to Vinny's and picking my kid
[36:56] Speaker 2: for a whole weekend.
[36:57] Speaker 1: Which you're gonna have to work. We're on the sideline
[36:59] Speaker 1: for the continue.
[37:00] Speaker 2: Its cool and I'll be It's if I'm wearing a Saturday,
[37:02] Speaker 2: I'll be out and about. You'll see me down at
[37:03] Speaker 2: the Wolf. You cut a rug well.
[37:05] Speaker 1: To be honest, it doesn't matter how bad a gear
[37:07] Speaker 1: I buy you, you'll still look better than Big Marnin Levy.
[37:11] Speaker 1: I've seen it. Oh, don't their fashion.
[37:14] Speaker 2: Don't mate. Levy doesn't like it when people go with
[37:17] Speaker 2: his fashion. They all wear the same thing anyway.
[37:19] Speaker 1: Alone.
[37:20] Speaker 2: I think they all live in their continuous call team polos.
[37:24] Speaker 2: I've never it's like Batman, like you never see him
[37:26] Speaker 2: not wearing that. It's like Homer Simpson. If you go
[37:28] Speaker 2: into his wardrobe, it's just you know, he's always got
[37:30] Speaker 2: the white shirt and the blue jeans. I think Mark
[37:32] Speaker 2: Levy he's just got thirty continuous call team polos.
[37:35] Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, good one. Thanks lads, you're awkward

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